2015: APC Takes The Battle To Jonathan’s Stronghold; Infiltrates South-South & South-East
The newly registered All Progressives Congress has launched a charm
offensive to woo the South-East and South-South zones, considered to be
the strongholds of President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Jonathan is from the South-South, Vice-President Namadi Sambo (North-West); Senate President David Mark (North-Central); the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (North-West); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim (South-East); Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (South-East); and Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha (South-East).
An APC chief who confided in Punch said, “Apart from embarking on aggressive campaigns in the two zones, more positions will be zoned to the areas. The South-East may get the vice-presidential slot, while the post of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation may go to the South-South. The presence of the Edo State Governor, Adam Oshiomhole and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, will also assist us in the zones.”
The APC leader also explained that the present structure of the party was tentative, adding the composition of its National Working Committee would be national.
He said, “We have learnt from the mistakes of the PDP. Although there is a gentleman’s agreement that the presidency will go to the North, others zones will not be neglected.
“We believe that even in the South-South, this government has not met the expectations of Nigerians. The rate of poverty in the country is going up in spite of figures being reeled out by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”
APC has governors in 11 states: Edo (South-South); Nasarawa (North-Central); Imo (South-East); Zamfara (North-West); Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun (South-West), Borno and Yobe (North-East).
The APC is also said to be enjoying the backing of top members of the Northern Elders’ Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum, who see it as an alternative platform for the North to actualise its plan to produce the president in 2015.
The party, sources say, is banking on the popularity of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in the South-West to retain the zone while also being optimistic that Jonathan administration’s marginalisation of the South-West would make it difficult for the ruling party to win the zone.
When asked the plans of the APC for the two zones, Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said: “Even before the advent of the APC, at the level of the ACN, we had a strong presence in Edo State, which is in the South-South. The governor is in APC, and we have members of the National Assembly.
"Also in Anambra, in the South-East, we have federal legislators. We also have a presence in Imo State. We know that Jonathan got a lot of votes from the South-East and South-South in 2011, but things are changing. We know that we have a lot of work in those two zones and we will not relent.”
“We believe that we should not have any problem in the North-West, North-East, North-Central and the South-West.
“But we need to do more work in the South-East and South-South. From all indications, President Goodluck Jonathan will get the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket. He has strong support in the two zones. We, therefore, need to neutralise him there."According to Punch, the party, having realised its weakness and President Jonathan’s strength in the two zones, has decided to revisit the zoning of its offices. Sources say the mega party might zone its vice-presidential ticket and top party offices to the South-East and South-South. Currently, the new party has one governor each in the two zones apiece.
President Jonathan is from the South-South, Vice-President Namadi Sambo (North-West); Senate President David Mark (North-Central); the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (North-West); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim (South-East); Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (South-East); and Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha (South-East).
An APC chief who confided in Punch said, “Apart from embarking on aggressive campaigns in the two zones, more positions will be zoned to the areas. The South-East may get the vice-presidential slot, while the post of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation may go to the South-South. The presence of the Edo State Governor, Adam Oshiomhole and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, will also assist us in the zones.”
The APC leader also explained that the present structure of the party was tentative, adding the composition of its National Working Committee would be national.
He said, “We have learnt from the mistakes of the PDP. Although there is a gentleman’s agreement that the presidency will go to the North, others zones will not be neglected.
“We believe that even in the South-South, this government has not met the expectations of Nigerians. The rate of poverty in the country is going up in spite of figures being reeled out by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”
APC has governors in 11 states: Edo (South-South); Nasarawa (North-Central); Imo (South-East); Zamfara (North-West); Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun (South-West), Borno and Yobe (North-East).
The APC is also said to be enjoying the backing of top members of the Northern Elders’ Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum, who see it as an alternative platform for the North to actualise its plan to produce the president in 2015.
The party, sources say, is banking on the popularity of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in the South-West to retain the zone while also being optimistic that Jonathan administration’s marginalisation of the South-West would make it difficult for the ruling party to win the zone.
When asked the plans of the APC for the two zones, Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said: “Even before the advent of the APC, at the level of the ACN, we had a strong presence in Edo State, which is in the South-South. The governor is in APC, and we have members of the National Assembly.
"Also in Anambra, in the South-East, we have federal legislators. We also have a presence in Imo State. We know that Jonathan got a lot of votes from the South-East and South-South in 2011, but things are changing. We know that we have a lot of work in those two zones and we will not relent.”
